Inside the Iran Negotiations & Britain’s Sudden Leadership Crisis | 6.23.26

Summary

Morning Wire – Episode Summary

Inside the Iran Negotiations & Britain’s Sudden Leadership Crisis | 6.23.26

Date: June 23, 2026
Hosts: Georgia Howe & John Bickley
Guests: Tim Rice (D.C. Bureau Chief), Bev Turner (GB News Late Show Live Host), Jonathan Scruggs (Alliance Defending Freedom)

---

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode unpacks three significant stories: U.S.-Iranian diplomatic negotiations, the abrupt resignation of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and its implications, and a preview of upcoming key Supreme Court rulings. The Morning Wire team examines the details, stakes, and anticipated outcomes of these events with expert guests, aiming to give listeners a substantive, fact-focused overview of fast-moving global and domestic politics.

---

Segment 1: Inside the U.S.-Iran Negotiations

[02:50 - 07:47]

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Vice President Vance and Iran Talks

  • VP Vance has returned from the first round of direct talks with Iran in Switzerland, signaling confidence in the negotiations.
  • The U.S. has lifted significant sanctions, most notably those restricting Iranian oil and petrochemical exports.
    • Historical shift: This marks the first time since 1979 that the U.S. has authorized the sale of Iranian-origin petroleum products in the States.
    • Quote (Tim Rice, 03:46):

      "We are not just trying to go back to the status quo from before this most recent engagement. We are trying to deal with you as a country."

  • Main sticking point: Independent inspections of Iran’s nuclear program by organizations like the IAEA.
    • Vance claims Iran agreed to day-one inspections, while Iranian officials deny any such agreement. Both sides continue to push their own narrative without explicitly contradicting the other.

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Middle East Mission

  • Rubio heads to regional allies (UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain) for high-level sit-downs.

  • Noted as being purposefully kept out of the initial spotlight, allowing more strategic flexibility for this phase of the diplomacy.

  • The administration appears to be deploying a "good cop, bad cop" strategy:

    • Vance as the approachable negotiator
    • Trump as a hardliner (notably warning Iran about closing the Strait of Hormuz)
    • Rubio returning for the next act, perhaps to advance or recalibrate the deal.

  • Quote (Tim Rice, 06:28):

    "You have Vance out in Switzerland—a bit of a good cop. You have Trump in D.C. telling Iran that they're going to regret... You get through the first stages of the ceasefire... and look who's back clean as a whistle: Secretary of State Marco Rubio."

  • Outcome: Rubio's role and messaging will signal the direction for U.S. policy in the Middle East.

---

Segment 2: Britain’s Sudden Leadership Crisis

[08:53 - 13:57]

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Keir Starmer’s Resignation

  • Starmer resigns as Labour Party leader after months of tension with President Trump, mounting scandals, and political miscalculations.

  • Catalysts:

    • Appointment of Lord Mandelson (embroiled in Epstein scandal)
    • Handling of sexual abuse and free speech controversies
    • A key by-election win by Andy Burnham, the popular Mayor of Greater Manchester, positioning him to challenge Starmer.

  • Quote (Bev Turner, 09:26):

    "The pressure on Starmer has been building... Mandelson's scandal, the rape gang inquiry, free speech. All of this mood music around how detached Starmer was from the British public."

  • Burnham’s likely succession has ignited calls for a snap general election, although he may avoid going to the polls immediately.

• Who is Andy Burnham?

  • Seen as pragmatic, approachable, not attached to elite institutions (didn't attend Oxbridge).

  • Known for successful regional policy (transit reforms in Manchester) and a style distinct from London’s political class.

  • Political stances: supports state intervention in utilities, is pro–Net Zero, and friendly to the EU.

  • Likely policy direction: may increase income taxes, expand public services, and focus less on globalist causes, more on local/national issues.

  • Quote (Bev Turner, 12:35):

    "He will want to get public services working better for the British people. He can't do that without the tax receipts. The mood music is that he will probably raise income tax across the board."

  • Key unknown: How Burnham will relate to President Trump and whether he can bridge the gap with traditional Labour voters lost to Reform and Nigel Farage.

---

Segment 3: Supreme Court Rulings Preview

[14:29 - 18:34]

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Major Cases Expected:

  1. Women’s Sports & Gender Policy

     • Two consolidated cases: Hecox v. Little and BPJ v. West Virginia
     • Central issue: Can states restrict participation in women’s sports to biological females?
     • Quote (Jonathan Scruggs, 15:20):

       "If you can't define what a woman is, you can't protect women's safety, privacy, or equal opportunity."

     • Expectation: Supreme Court likely to side with "common sense and reality" in support of women's sports protections.

  2. Immigration Rulings

     • Trump v. Barbara: Birthright citizenship by executive order
       • Expected to be a difficult win for Trump; justices skeptical in oral arguments.
     • Other immigration cases: Federal discretion on asylum standards
       • Expectation: Trump administration favored in statutory interpretation cases.
     • Quote (Scruggs, 16:26):

       "I think they're going in as an underdog on [birthright citizenship]... But on the other cases that involve more statutory issues, I favor the Trump administration."

  3. Election Integrity

     • RNC v. Watson: Counting mail-in ballots post–Election Day
       • Expect the court to require ballots to be received, not just postmarked, by Election Day.
     • RNC v. FEC: Federal law on party–candidate coordination funding
       • Expected to go the challengers' way, increasing campaign finance flexibility under First Amendment grounds.
     • Quote (Scruggs, 17:41):

       "I would anticipate a win for the challengers in that case... The Supreme Court has been pretty skeptical of campaign finance limits that burden the First Amendment."

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Presidential Praise (Trump, 00:43):

  "I think that they're doing a fantastic job... I thought J.D. Vance this morning was fantastic. He's a very smart guy. Did a great job."

• Diplomatic Uncertainty (Tim Rice, 05:31):

  "No one's backing down. And curiously, neither side is outwardly correcting the other side. They just keep pushing each of their messages."

• UK Political Transition (Bev Turner, 11:07):

  "There will now basically tip into place a protocol system to make Andy Burnham prime minister. Now, he hasn't, of course, Georgia been elected by the British people..."

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:34] Episode opening: U.S.-Iran talks & Trump weighs in
• [02:50] Iran negotiations breakdown with Tim Rice
• [05:52] Focus shifts to Marco Rubio’s Middle East summit
• [08:53] UK leadership crisis: Keir Starmer steps down, Bev Turner analysis
• [12:35] Andy Burnham’s likely direction for Labour & the UK
• [14:29] SCOTUS preview: Women's sports, immigration, and election law with Jonathan Scruggs
• [18:34] Episode closing

---

Takeaways

• The U.S. is making a historic diplomatic shift with Iran, signaling openness to “normal” relations and signaling major policy flexibility via a team-based approach (Vance, Rubio, Trump).
• Britain faces a seismic political shakeup: Andy Burnham’s ascension after Starmer’s embarrassing scandals signals both uncertainty and possible return to pragmatic, locally focused Labour politics.
• The Supreme Court is poised to issue rulings with national impact on gender, immigration, and election law, with early conservative optimism on key points.

---

Transcript

[Wayfair Advertiser]

The grill is shot, the chairs are held together by optimism. And what happened to the rug? Sounds like your outdoor setup is not ready for patio season. Fix it all with Wayfair. Shop Wayfair for grills, rugs, furniture and more. With 20 million 5 star reviews, room of choice delivery and expert setup on qualifying orders, it's never been easier to do more for less. Get 10% off your first eligible purchase. Hurry to Wayfair.com or download the app now.

[Wayfair Announcer]

Wayfair Every Style, Every Home.

[Georgia Howe]

As Vice President Vance returns from round one of Iran talks, Secretary of State Rubio heads to the Middle east to hammer out plans with several key Arab countries.

[President Trump]

I think that they're doing a fantastic job. Our secretary is fantastic. I think he's maybe going to go down as the best ever. And I thought J.D. vance this morning was fantastic. He's a very smart guy. Did a great job.

[Georgia Howe]

I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley. It's Tuesday, June 23rd, and this is Morning Wire.

[News Anchor]

Every decision I've taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party. After months of public feuds with President Trump, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigns. What does this mean for his left wing Labor Party?

[Georgia Howe]

And the Supreme Court is poised to hand down several sized rulings as early as today. We have a rundown of the cases to watch.

[Jonathan Scruggs]

We fully expect the Supreme Court to embrace common sense and reality.

[News Anchor]

Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to

[Ryan Reynolds]

know

[Ethos Life Insurance Advertiser]

there's some moments in life when you realize you're no longer only planning for yourself. Maybe it's getting married. Maybe it's buying a home or becoming a parent. Or maybe it's just one of those ordinary moments where you look around and realize other people you love are counting on you. And that's usually when financial planning starts to feel a lot less theoretical. Because life insurance is one of those things almost everybody agrees is important. The problem is that most people put it in the same category as cleaning out the garage or organizing the attic. Sure, it's important, but I'll get to it eventually. That's why ethos exists. Ethos makes getting life insurance fast and easy 100%. Online, you can get a quote in seconds, apply in minutes, and get same day coverage. There's no medical exam. You just answer a few simple health questions online and you can get up to $3 million in coverage. Some policies are as low as $30 a month what people seem to appreciate most is that it doesn't turn an important financial decision into a major project. You can take care of it quickly and get back to living your life. Because planning for the future isn't really about worrying. It's about being prepared. Take 10 minutes to get covered today with life insurance through Ethos. Get your free', @ethos.com wire that is ethos.com wire application. Times may vary, rates may vary.

[News Anchor]

Vice President Vance returned to the US Yesterday after the first round of Iran talks amid the new 60 day ceasefire. And now Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to the Middle east to work with allies in the region on key priorities.

[Georgia Howe]

Joining us to discuss the complex diplomatic Dance is our D.C. bureau chief, Tim Rice. Tim, thanks for coming back.

[Tim Rice]

Thanks for having me, guys.

[Georgia Howe]

So let's start with the latest on the Iran talks. The Vice President sounding pretty confident that they are making progress. Where do things stand now?

[Tim Rice]

Yeah, I mean, that's pretty much most of what we know. Georgia is, the Vice President and the White House are incredibly confident coming out of these negotiations. Things got off to a rough start over the weekend. When the Vice President landed in Switzerland, there were some reports that the Qataris had snubbed the American delegation or maybe the Iranians were backing out all sorts of nonsense about a photo op. Would they or won't they? In terms of the things that actually matter, the deal that they're hammering out, it seems like the best way to put it, I think, is that we seem to be negotiating with Tehran. So the United States has relieved a lot of sanctions. One of the most notable ones that we heard about yesterday was that they not just lifted sanctions on Iranian oil exports, but they've authorized the sale of Iranian origin petroleum and petrochemical products across the world, including in the United States. Now, the United States has not purchased Iranian made oil and gas products since 1979. So this is a massive shift, a massive signal, I would say, from the United States that we are not just lifting the sanctions. We're not just trying to go back to the status quo from before this most recent engagement. We are trying to deal with you as a country. Right. They're negotiating with the Iranians. They're making a deal. Now, of course, Iran is not any other country. There are still, you know, sticks to go with the carrots. There's still a whole different element of this. It's not just as simple as signing a trade deal with Iceland or something like that. So one of the main ones, and probably the biggest sticking point and what will continue to be the biggest sticking point is international non governmental organizations doing inspections. Right. The IAEA is the name of the group. So this is basically where this third party international group comes in, looks at Iran's nuclear facilities and other power plants and says, okay, we're reasonably confident that they're not enriching uranium, they're not building nuclear bombs. So under the Obama Iran deal, these things happened until about 2018, which was when President Trump pulled out of the Obama deal. The JCPOA Iran sort of complied with them for a little bit and then they kind of just petered off. And we haven't really had inspections since late 2018. So this is a little bit of a wrinkle. Vance says that on day one of the negotiations, Iran agreed to these inspections. The White House is running with that line. Various factions of the Iranian communications apparatus have said, we did not agree to these inspections. So still waiting for some clarity on that. No one's backing down. And curiously, neither side is outwardly correcting the other side. They just keep pushing each of their messages. So we're going to have to see only one of them could be right now.

[Georgia Howe]

Marco Rubio is also headed to the Middle east and he is going for a series of sit downs with some of our allies there. What is his focus going to be and what should we have our eye on as he comes out of this?

[Tim Rice]

Yeah, so he is going to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain and maybe a couple of others. This is a very interesting thing because, as we've noted, Rubio has sort of been off the table for the early stages of this ceasefire. We didn't hear from him, we didn't see him. It was all Vance, all the time, to say nothing, of course, of the President, President sort of opining from the Oval Office and firing off posts on Truth Social. So what I'm going to be looking for is really just I'm. I'm interested to see what message Rubio brings. Right. Because as you said, Georgia, these are our allies. They are, if not directly engaged in negotiations, they have been, you know, appraised of them and are, you know, clearly supportive of us brokering this deal. So not that many. I don't expect to see too many surprises in terms of what the leaders that Rubio meets with has have to say. But I'm interested in the message that Rubio brings out, because my suspicion is that keeping Rubio off the table allowed the White House and the Trump administration to keep him a little bit more flexible for this next stage of the negotiations. Right. You have Vance out in Switzerland. He's a little bit of a good cop. You have Trump in D.C. telling Iran that they're going to regret whatever they kind of start mouthing off or put out these fiery statements. You're going to regret this. You won't have a country anymore if you reclose the Strait of Hormuz, the president said. So you get this good cop, bad cop thing. You get through the first stages of the, of the 60 day cease fire and you get through the opening of the negotiations and then look who's back clean as a whistle, Secretary of State Marco Rubio. So I think that what we hear from Rubio is really going to signal where the administration wants to go with this next and really the president's vision for the future, not just of American relations with Iran, but his future for the vision of the entire Middle East.

[Georgia Howe]

Tim, thanks so much for reporting.

[Tim Rice]

Thanks for having me, guys.

[Georgia Howe]

This past weekend was the official start to summer. And here in Nashville it is extremely hot and humid. But lately I am really enjoying all things linen. And quint is my go to because they have so many styles and colorways and really classic shapes made of natural fabrics like linen and silk that really age well and they hold up to heat and multiple washes. And my favorite top was about $36. I have it in at least four shades. And a dress I reach for all the time was about $54. So very fair prices for such high quality. And it really makes me feel like I can wear elegant items even in my real life, like out in the garden or cooking because they didn't cost hundreds of dollars and they wash well. So elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to quince.com wire for free shipping on your order. And 365 day returns now available in Canada, too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com wire for free shipping and 365 day returns. That's quints.com wire after just two years

[News Anchor]

in power, the prime minister of the UK Stepped down this week amid growing backlash against his leadership and roiling tensions between him and President Trump.

[Georgia Howe]

Joining us to discuss is GB News Late SHOW Live host Bev Turner. Bev, thanks for coming on.

[Wayfair Announcer]

Thank you. It's actually a quite a good news story, guys. I'm normally talking to you about very depressing things, but this might be some hope for the UK maybe.

[Wayfair Advertiser]

Right.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, you came on last week and you predicted that Starmer would resign. Can you walk us through what led to the resignation and what comes next?

[Wayfair Announcer]

So the pressure on Starmer has been building, at least for the last, well, six to 12 months. It kind of almost started where I am, here in Washington, D.C. because the appointment of Peter Mandelson, if you remember Lord Mandelson as the ambassador to the uk, and then he was embroiled in the episode Epstein scandal that called Starmer's judgment into question. We've had the scandal around the rape gang inquiry which came out last week, and all sorts of issues. Free speech, protesters being arrested and weren't people from America not being allowed to fly to the UK for the United Kingdom rally? All of this mood music around how detached Starmer was from the British public. There was a by election last week and in that stood a guy called Andy Burnham. Up until today, he was. Was the mayor of Greater Manchester. So not a parliamentary role, a kind of regional political role, but still very significant. He won that by election last week. Today he got on a train. He's gone up to London from Manchester, gone down to London and now he's an mp. That means he is in a position to challenge Keir Starmer to the leadership of the Labour Party. Because of that, Starmer resigned. There will now basically tip into place a protocol system to make Andy Burnham prime Minister. Now, he hasn't, of course, Georgia been elected by the British people, so there are lots of other politicians, including Nigel Farage of reform calling for a snap general election. It is highly unlikely that Burnham will go with a snap general election. It would be enormous arrogance or hubris to think he could go to the polls at the moment because he might just get voted out. Now, Andy Burnham is very difficult to pin down on his politics. We don't know really what his ideology is because although he is a Labor politician, he's only been overseeing domestic, local, regional politics. We know that Andy Burnham likes state intervention, particularly when it comes to utilities, our water, our oil, our gas, et cetera. And we know that he is a big Net Zero fan and pro eu. So we'll be looking for common ground between America and the UK. With Andy Burnham in number 10 at the moment, it's difficult to see where that might be.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, what can we infer about the direction of the country based on this latest shakeup? Do we have a sense one way or the other that it's trending in one direction?

[Wayfair Announcer]

It's really difficult to say, George. We know that he's very pragmatic. Andy Burnham is a northerner, as am I, and we tend to come at these things less ideologically, but more what's gonna work in the real world, what will work for people? And Andy Burnham has had some success in Manchester. He put into place a fantastic new transport system of trams and bus network. The local in Manchester have really liked him. He's very warm. He's a very approachable man. I've met him on several occasions. I've known him on and off for 20 years. He seems like one of the people, not a rarefied politician. He didn't go to private school, he didn't go to Oxford or Cambridge. He's a kind of old fashioned labor man. They are the constituency actually that Labour have lost. Those people have found the Reform Party and Nigel Farage on the right. Andy Burnham's job will be to bring them back to his party. He's got big jobs to deal with. He's gotta deal with illegal migration, he's gotta deal with legal migration as well. He's got to see if he can bring down the tax burden. The mood music is that in fact he will increase taxes. He's a spender. He believes in a big state. He will want to get public services working better for the British people. He can't do that without the tax receipts. So there is a feeling that he will probably raise income tax across the board. He doesn't like the billionaires. We know that he's probably not much of a globalist and in some ways that will go down well with the British voter. He spent more time in Manchester than he has in Davos. Unlike Keir Starmer, he hasn't been glad handing it around with all of the NGOs and the quangos and the World Economic Forum crowd, he's not part of that constituency. So let's see. It might be good news for the uk, or it might be even more socialism.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, assuming Burnham gets in, it'll be interesting to see how he relates with President Trump. That relationship, of course, is crucial. Bev, thanks so much for reporting.

[Wayfair Announcer]

Thank you.

[Wayfair Advertiser]

Hey there, it's Wayfair here, where delivery and setup are as easy as a few taps on your phone. You're relaxing in an old hammock, scrolling Wayfair's app when you spot it. A brand new patio set. Next thing you know, Wayfair delivers it right to your patio and sets it up. Oh, you need a new grill too. Alright, Wayfair's got you covered. With Wayfair's room of choice delivery and fast expert setup on qualifying orders, life gets a little easier. Visit Wayfair.com or the Wayfair app.

[Wayfair Announcer]

Wayfair Every style, Every Home.

[Georgia Howe]

The Supreme Court is poised to rule in the coming days on several highly watched cases that could have massive implications, including cases about protecting women's sports, mail in ballots and birthright citizenship.

[News Anchor]

Joining us now to discuss the impending rulings is Alliance Defending Freedom senior counsel and VP of Legal Counsel Jonathan Scruggs. Jonathan, welcome to the show.

[Jonathan Scruggs]

Thanks for having me.

[News Anchor]

So we have some major cases that should be delivered in the next few days and weeks. In fact, we're expecting maybe a few today. Let's start with the issue that the Daily Wire has been particularly covering closely. This is men in women's sports. You guys are involved in a big case here. What ruling should we be watching for on women's sports?

[Jonathan Scruggs]

Absolutely. Well, I think this is a pretty important decision. The technical issue is just can the states preserve women's sports for women? But the bigger issue is about the harms of gender ideology. And if you can't define what a woman is, you can't protect women's safety, women's privacy, women's equal opportunity. That's two cases combined really into one. It's Hecox versus Little and BPJ versus West Virginia. So we don't know if we're going to get two separate opinions or one big opinion together. But I expect him to come on the same day. So we could expect a decision in next couple of weeks, and we're hopeful. We fully expect the Supreme Court to embrace common sense and reality.

[News Anchor]

There's also a handful of cases dealing with immigration issues, a major priority for Trump. Of course, we've talked in the past about Trump versus Barbara. How do you see these immigration cases playing out?

[Jonathan Scruggs]

Yeah, the one you mentioned is the big ticket one. That's the birthright citizenship one. Can President Trump, via an executive order, kind of changed the rule about who is eligible for birthright citizenship? I'd actually, during the oral argument, the justices seem pretty skeptical of the Trump administration. So I think they're going in as an underdog on that case. But I think you can flip that to the other cases that involve more statutory issues about whether who's eligible for asylum if they walk up to the border. How much discretion does the Trump administration have to designate certain groups as eligible to stay in the country? So I favor the Trump administration on those other two cases. So you could see a split, a split in the immigration decisions.

[News Anchor]

All right, so maybe some mixed results there. The court also has a pair of election integrity cases in the works here, including mail in ballots. What should we know about those cases? And which way do you expect the court to go?

[Jonathan Scruggs]

Yeah, two cases there, Republican National Committee versus Watson, that involves the issue of what is the meaning of election day and whether you can count ballots that were postmarked before election day or did they have to be received on election day. After Covid certain states started to allow people to send in ballots and started to count them even if they were received after election day. And so what I anticipate here is siding against the states in this situation and the court effectively saying, look, the meaning of election day means you have to receive the ballots on that day, you can't receive them after. So in favor of, I guess you could say election integrity on that issue. On the other case, which is a First Amendment case, which is Republican National Committee versus fec, that involves a federal law that puts a limit on how much political parties can coordinate and spend with a political candidate. Republican groups challenge that law. And interesting enough, because it's a federal law, the Trump administration said we can't defend this law because it's unconstitutional. So then the Democratic Party jumped in to try to defend the law. And I would anticipate a winner for the challengers in that case. The group of Republicans, the Supreme Court has been pretty skeptical of limits of campaign finance that burden the First Amendment. And so I would anticipate a win for the First Amendment on that case in the challengers.

[News Anchor]

Well, lots going on, major rulings coming down and as we said, some expected as soon as today. So I'm sure we'll be following up soon with you guys. Jonathan, thank you so much for coming on.

[Jonathan Scruggs]

Yeah, thanks for having me.

[Georgia Howe]

Thanks for waking up with us. The reporting that fuels this show is only possible because you tune in every day and because of our Daily Wire subscribers.

[News Anchor]

To enjoy the show ad free and join our mission, become a [e-mail] we'll be back this evening with more news you need to know.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same Premium Wireless for $15 a month plan that I' been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to [e-mail]

[Wayfair Announcer]

Switch upfront payment of $45 for three month plan equivalent to $15 per month required intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees, extra fee, full [e-mail].